Saturday, December 16, 2006

Yesterday morning, we woke up, made our morning fruit drink, and then I drank down my vitamins with a glass of tap water. I jumped in the shower, brushed my teeth and washed my face/shaved with tap water. Shortly thereafter, I left. Regular morning routine.

I hopped in the car with Mike and we drove to work. Mike instantly asked me if I'd heard. "Of what?" "There's a water alert. ASPA (the power/water company) announced high levels of fecal coliform in the water due to so much rain. So we have to boil our water this weekend if we want to drink it."

I guess ASPA couldn't keep their chlorine levels high enough with so much rain.

What was I to do about the water I had ingested and washed with just that morning? Crazy rain!!

We already boil water to disinfect our dirty dishes. Now we have to boil water for drinking as well.

And it rained, and rained, and rained, all day Friday. I'd be crazy to think the rain was going to go somewhere else anytime soon.

Luckily, a few months ago we decided we needed to buy several cases of bottled water. You remember that rarely-complied-with directive from the Prophet to keep food storage?

This situation reminded me of the year I lived in downtown Seoul, in South Korea. We couldn't drink the water, and had to go get it from a fresh water spring in large water canisters, and cart the water back to our apartment. It was hard work. We could wash dishes in tap water, and gargle with it, but I never drank so much as a drop or two (accidentally, of course). I know a few missionaries who drank more, and they didn't fare so well.

I'm not so sure it was because of fecal coliform, though. Seoul is just a big, bustling, congested, dirty place.

Then this morning, I was talking with Jaydn while I had my fruit drink. I got distracted, and poured myself some water to drink my vitamins down. And drank it. Oops!

Then I doubled up on my vitamins, said a little prayer, and went about my day.